


what matters most

by steviewrites



Series: double a [1]
Category: Alice by Heart - Sheik/Sater/Sater & Nelson
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, New York City, Romance, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:20:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25678765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/steviewrites/pseuds/steviewrites
Summary: alice and alfred go on a date in the heart of new york city.
Relationships: Alfred Hallam/Alice Spencer
Series: double a [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1862014
Comments: 12
Kudos: 16





	what matters most

**Author's Note:**

  * For [damianhubbard](https://archiveofourown.org/users/damianhubbard/gifts).



> hi abh fandom and any of my usual readers! wrote this out of boredom and because i wanted to finally post something other than mean girls, which i haven’t done in a super long time. this is just short and sweet and set in my favorite place ever!

❦

It’s clear Alice wants something. The problem is figuring out what, because she would rather wander around huffing and puffing expectantly instead of just asking for whatever it is.

And Alfred isn’t going to give in and ask. If it’s that important, she can tell him in words, not childish gestures—though it is rather amusing to hear her sigh woefully in the next room, or catch a glimpse of her pouting.

Ultimately she grows so tired of waiting for him to pay attention to her, so her final move is to come bother him while he’s sitting on the couch, shoving his computer out of the way to drape herself over his lap. Alfred rolls his eyes as he sets his laptop down elsewhere, but does his best to hide the smile trying to creep onto his face.

Alice is like a cat: silently persistent when her needs are not being met. She has distantly followed him from spot to spot—in what little space there is in their tiny Brooklyn apartment—throughout the day, fussing.

Now he has no choice but to acknowledge her, and she might as well purr contentedly when he touches her hair.

“You’re so fidgety today,” he notes, and she sticks her tongue out.

“I’m _bored_ ,” she says indignantly, crossing her arms. “I wanna get out and do something fun.”

“Then go and do something fun,” Alfred responds logically, twirling a lock around his finger. “You don’t need my permission.”

Alice scoffs. “I know that. But I wanna do something with _you_. Like, go out to eat, feed some ducks at the park, rob a bank… Any number of things.”

Unfazed by that last option, Alfred shrugs. “Okay. If you want date night, you could’ve just said so earlier.”

“I wanted _you_ to ask _me_!” Alice protests, offended. “I like it when you ask me out. It reminds me of when we were in school. You’d be all nervous, asking to get Panera or whatever.”

Alfred lets his head fall back on the couch. “Alice. We live together now, it doesn’t matter who brings up going on a date.”

“It does to me!” She pops up to straddle his waist, reaching for a kiss. “It’ll always matter. Yes, gender roles should be abolished, women can initiate things that men normally do, but you’re so cute when you do it, I _have_ to say yes.”

Alfred raises an eyebrow. “Why on earth would you say no?”

She’s perplexed by the rebuttal, doing mental gymnastics to reply until she gives up and says, “Well, anyway, my point is, will you please ask me out so we can act like we’re in a movie montage where there’s lots of pretty lights and wide shots of us dancing and Italian music?”

Alfred laughs out loud. He’s known Alice since they were kids, and she is just as weird now as she was on the playground in preschool.

“Alice Spencer,” he begins once he’s composed, and Alice tilts her chin up, wearing a satisfied smile. “Will you do me the honor of going on a date with me on this fine evening?”

Alice bops his nose. “Why, Alfred dear, I thought you’d _never_ ask.”

* * *

The sky is dusty-purple, orange at the edges, when they head out a few hours later, having swapped sweats for a formal look, with the blue of Alfred’s dress shirt matching the small flowers on Alice’s blouse.

Hand in hand, they walk to the subway, sounds of the city surrounding the small neighborhood they’ve called home for the past year. There wasn’t much of that where they grew up, but now the cars, sirens, and eternal rush of New York is white noise they fall asleep to.

Alfred keeps an arm around Alice while they wait for a train, then as they are whisked further into the heart of Manhattan. Alfred knows Alice can handle herself just fine, and she’s not an object of his possession—but he doesn’t want other men looking at her, admiring her. He worries when she is out alone. So when they’re exploring together, he protects her.

The city is bright and loud, Alice’s shoes clacking on the sidewalk as they meander the streets in search of somewhere to eat. They bicker briefly over what they should have, what’s in the budget, if it’d be a bad idea to get dessert first—but then they decide on a place Dodgy suggested, that has French cuisine “to die for,” per his review.

So they track it down and are welcomed inside, hands still clasped tightly. They get a table in a quiet corner and Alice glances around appreciatively at the decor, taking in the cozy atmosphere. As for Alfred, he only has eyes for her.

Dodgy wasn’t exaggerating about the food—or the price. Alice suddenly is nervous when Alfred signs the check, trying to peek at their total, including tip—but Alfred assures her it’s alright. He puts money aside for this reason. He would scrounge up millions to make Alice happy.

Of course, they both know you can’t always buy happiness, and Alice likes being with him more than any material thing he could give her, but he likes to be chivalrous and take risks sometimes. It’s just what you do when you’re in love—especially with Alice, who is an adventure in her own right, and who deserves to feel special, pampered.

The night sky is littered with stars, and the chilled air makes Alice button up her coat. They walk aimlessly, enjoying each other’s presence, making their way to Central Park after getting frozen yogurt at Alice’s favorite shop. Sitting on a bench like an old married couple, she feeds him gummy worms and he lets her have a bite of his. They people-watch in the darkness, and Alice gets to pet a dog, probably the highlight of this entire date.

Alfred is great, but he pales in comparison to a four-legged friend.

They walk some more, wandering into the theatre district just to see all the sparkling marquees and press their ears to the stage doors, where music vibrates and applause roars.

“They’ll be cheering for you one day,” Alice says affirmatively, and Alfred turns pink. His dream of actually performing at one of these famous theaters is a work in progress, so he’s thankful for her undying optimism.

“And you’ll be waiting right there,” he points to the barricade being set up by a security guard, “for me when I’m done.”

Alice hugs his arm. “Mhm. And all our friends get special access, too. I bet Dodgy will try to steal a prop and sell it. He’d snag the Phantom mask.”

Alfred laughs, because she’s not wrong. Dodgy is small enough to sneak in a variety of places, and despite the tight regime of most theaters, Alfred does not doubt he’d find a way to do so.

They come upon an elderly musician at a street corner, who plays for them as Alfred encourages Alice to dance. She’s not very good at it, but she follows his lead, and he hopes this is the movie moment she had in mind.

They stop at a chocolate shop on their way to the train, Alice wanting some to take home. Alice loves sweets, craving everything in the glass displays like she didn’t just have a full meal and frozen yogurt.

She nibbles on a chocolate-covered strawberry as the train rumbles below their feet, Alfred’s arm around her shoulders again. She makes him try a caramel and nut combo treat, finishing it when he says it’s good, and the old lady across from them is endeared.

On their walk home, they pass a cluster of trash bags, and Alice demands Alfred take her picture. He doesn’t get her—all night she had every opportunity to pose in front of something _not_ unsightly, and now they’re almost home and it’s vitally important she get a photo with one of the most common things here.

“Beautiful, Alice,” Alfred tells her, and at least that’s true. If Alice can make garbage look pretty, she’s capable of anything. She skips back to his side to look, and once happy with the result, they carry on, arm in arm, her bag of chocolates swinging in the breeze.

The front door has barely shut when she’s tackling him with kisses, and it doesn’t come as a surprise to Alfred she’s so energetic with all that sugar in her system. Laughing against her mouth, he scoops her up, because date night won’t be complete without concluding it like this.

Later, as she snores next to him after falling asleep watching something on Netflix, Alfred posts the lone picture she made him take so the world can see that Alice had a great time getting everything she wanted, including a photo with the trash bags outside their building.

If that’s what giving her the world means, Alfred would do it again til his camera roll contained nothing but images of his dear Alice bending the rules.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! kudos and comments are fetch ♡
>
>> **find me:**   
>  [twitter](https://twitter.com/wantingmylove)   
>  [tumblr](https://cadyjanis.tumblr.com)


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